Sunday, September 30, 2012

Ryan Bingham's tour for his new release
"Tomorrowland" arrived to a sold out crowd at the Ogden Theatre on September 29. Ryan opened the
show with "Guess who's knockin?" one of his most rockin numbers to
date and a key track off of Tomorrowland. Ryan was sporting a brand new
band as well. The Dead Horses, the band he toured with for years and released
all his previous albums with are "currently on break" said Bingham.

The show was energetic and non stop rock n roll.
Bingham is known for his story telling and melancholy tunes like
"The Weary Kind" which won him an Academy Award, a Golden
Globe Award and a Grammy Award as best song for the film "Crazy
Heart" starring Jeff Bridges. His live show was not an ounce
melancholy, rather it was 4 to floor form start to finish and the crowd loved
it.

We caught up with Ryan after the show to ask a few questions
and enjoy a cold brew. "The Ogden is
one of my favorite theaters to play in the country" said Bingham,
"the sound on stage is superb and the audience is fantastic"
This was the second time Ryan has performed at the Ogden. Before his Grammy win he played at the
Walnut Room and also at Bender's Tavern with local legends The Railbenders.
He also performed at Colfax's own Twist & Shout Records for his last
release. Last year, Ryan opened a sold out Red Rocks show for Willie Nelson.
Ryan's current tour will take him across the US
and eventually for a handful of dates in the UK, with more to be added. Ryan
travels on his tour bus in true country style, with both his wife and his dog
riding shotgun. If you haven't checked him out, we recommend you do! --- Ryan Chrys, "Mile High City Madd Mann"

DENVER,
CO - On Thursday, September 27, 2012, William Hobbs, the hearing
officer who presided over the September 19 liquor-license renewal
hearing for Rockbar, recommended that Rockbar’s liquor license not be
renewed.

After
almost 7-years of operating, Rockbar has been the anchor to help turn
around a troubled real estate property, it employs many Denver
residents, contributes to Denver’s tax base, is a favored place for
people to meet friends every week, and was the host to many
celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Alan Cumming, and Anne Hathaway during
the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The Rockbar is regular
stop and parking option for people visiting the Colfax entertainment
district – Rockbar is one of the few businesses in the neighborhood that
has a parking lot, and they don’t charge anyone to park there. The
liquor-license renewal hearing for Rockbar was originally called by the
City citing an allegation that Rockbar had operated an outdoor patio in
violation of its liquor license. However, at the beginning of
the hearing the City rescinded this charge.

Instead
of ending the hearing then as would have been appropriate, Rockbar’s
counsel, ownership and management were ambushed with other criticisms.
These ranged from police reports (that Denver Police confirmed didn’t
even have anything to do with Rockbar), alleged issues related to a good
neighborhood agreement regarding food service, and false statements
from four (yes, only four) residents living or owning property within a
5-block radius of the business. Regardless of not having any other
neighbors’ support of their criticism, these neighbors suggested that the
Rockbar operates in a manner that is noisy and is a nuisance to the
neighborhood. These neighbors even admitted that they had made efforts
to get other residents to participate in the accusations against
Rockbar, yet no other residents agreed and wanted to corroborate their
complaints.

Prior
to the hearing, no charge was made against Rockbar of any of these
types of issues, and at the hearing no real evidence was presented that
supports them, yet the hearing lasted more than four hours. Eight days
later the hearing officer recommended that the liquor license not be
renewed, not because of anything that had occurred at Rockbar or that
could even be attributed to Rockbar, but because of alleged behavior in
general by people on and around Colfax.

In
Rockbar’s 6-year history, there have been ZERO noise
complaints, NO violations issued,NO charges of disturbing the peace or
public nuisance, etc. from the City or Denver Police, and not even any
complaints being communicated by the Registered Neighborhood
Organizations or any of the residents themselves.

This
is an issue of fundamental fairness. How can the City take away the
ability to operate as a business when there has been no notice,
violations, or even concerns communicated to the Rockbar from the City,
the RNO’s, or any of the individual residents?

Is the City prepared to hold all business owners to this same standard?

If
the answer to that question is yes, then it’s an extremely frightening
situation for all residents and business owners in Denver. If the
answer is no, then how can the City possibly justify the actions it has
taken so far, much less the possibility of the non-renewal of Rockbar’s
license to be in business…

The
final decision will be determined by the Department of Excise and
Licenses on October 5th, “after review and consideration of the
Recommended Decision and any objections from interested parties.”

We
encourage you to join us in support of Rockbar, and perhaps through the
process let the City know that its residents will not tolerate this
kind of unjustified, overreaching, and abusive behavior.

Sign
your name on the petition at www.saverockbar.com to tell Tom Downey (the Director of Denver Excise &
License), Mayor Hancock, and Denver City Council to save Rockbar! An
email will be sent on your behalf, and your name will be added to a list
to receive updates on the matter.

In addition, feel free to email the City directly, with your own personal message regarding this matter:

In 2010, Denver city planners decided that reintroducing streetcars to
Colfax Avenue would help commercial development and began a feasibility
study. I suggested then – and still agree now – that the reintroduction
of streetcars is guaranteed to reduce automobile congestion and
invigorate redevelopment on East Colfax Avenue! Especially if the
project is built as a public/private partnership that includes the use
of seven "Hopper" trolleys that promote Colfax business interests...

Pictured above, the "Shop Hopper" trolley identify locations of dry
goods and sundry retail establishments, while the tattoo shops, massage
parlors, bath houses and hair salons will be announced by sponsoring
establishments on the "Skin and Hair Hopper" trolley.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

La Cueva Restaurant in Aurora, Colorado is a landmark known throughout Aurora
and metro Denver
not only for it's authentic, tasty Mexican dishes but also for its community
presence. Established as a family business in 1974, La Cueva caters to a
home-style atmosphere that makes its customers feel instantly welcome like
"coming home for dinner."

When Norma Martinez met Nabor Nuñez at a restaurant, La
Bonita, in downtown Denver
in 1956, she knew he would be a serious businessman. He had goals to have
his own restaurant. When this young cook first saw Norma, he knew that
she would be his wife. Norma with her big heart and sociable manner would
be just the woman to help him succeed. Their mutual faith and persistence
made their marriage and family thrive.

After several years of marriage and two children, Molly
and Alfonso, Norma and Nabor were able to purchase a small storefront space at 9742 E. Colfax Avenue
to realize their dream. La Cueva became the first Mexican restaurant in
East Colfax in Aurora
at the time. The neighborhood was still majority non-Mexican.
Nevertheless, the familiar menu gave way to delicious "estilo
Mexicano" items. The Mexican menu gradually drew customers beyond
the boundaries of Original Aurora.
By word of mouth, La Cueva has drawn people who are attracted to the pride of
the Nuñez family and their efforts in the community.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Colfax Corridor Connections: Public Meetings October 1 and 4

The City and County of Denver, in coordination with the City of Aurora, is kicking off Colfax Corridor Connections.
This transportation planning project will identify ways to improve
transit and overall mobility in the East Colfax corridor which is
roughly bounded by I-25 to the west, I-225 to the east, 12th Avenue to
the south and 20th Avenue to the north.

"Whether you look at
13th and 14th Avenues, 17th and 18th Avenues or Colfax Avenue itself,
getting around in this part of the metro area can be difficult and it is
projected to get worse," said Terry Ruiter, Colfax Corridor Connections
Project Manager with the City and County of Denver. "Colfax Corridor
Connections will provide a roadmap for us to begin improving mobility
and accessibility for transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists and
drivers."
The public is encouraged to attend kickoff meetings on October 1 in
Aurora or October 4 in Denver. Both meetings will present the same
information and will focus on introducing the public to this new study
and begin gathering input that will shape the project’s focus and
decisions.

Between
now and November 2013, Colfax Corridor Connections will study mobility
and accessibility needs in the corridor and identify transit and other
multimodal improvements, including bicycle, pedestrian and vehicular, to
address them. These improvements will also be weighed against six
livability principles.

At its conclusion next fall, Colfax
Corridor Connections will identify a set of projects that can improve
transit, overall mobility, livability and accessibility within the
corridor. Funding would need to be identified before implementation
could begin, but identifying solutions now will allow the cities to make
informed decisions about improvements in the corridor that work toward a
broad, cohesive, long-term plan.

Denver's Road of Riches: Colfax Avenue

At the foothills of the Rockies, Lake Steam Bath
beckons ailing travelers to the curative outdoors of Denver, Colorado.

Gertrude Hyman's family built the bath house here
in 1927, to cater to sick travelers from the East Coast of the United
States who believed in the healing power of heat and cool mountain
air.

"Most of the population in Denver, the immigrant
population, was people who had an uncle or aunt or somebody in the
family who needed to be treated for consumption. You
know, that's tuberculosis," Hyman said.
The area's restorative appeal has given rise to a thriving health
industry, especially along Colfax Avenue, a road that once promised
speculators more than physical well-being. National Jewish Hospital,
one of the world's premier centers for pulmonary illness, is long
established here.
"More people came to Colorado for health than ever for gold or silver
or wealth," said Tom Noel, professor of history at the University of
Colorado.
That wasn't always the case. When Denver was founded in 1850, scores
of miners came looking for the mother lode. Thirty-mile-long Colfax
Avenue was the major artery linking them to the riches of the Rockies.
These days, those looking for gold need go no farther than
the U.S.
Mint, which turns out 50 million coins a day on Colfax Avenue.
Beneath the mint, in a heavily guarded area, lie even more riches,
said spokesman Guillermo Hernandez. "Roughly a quarter of the
country's gold reserves are stored in our vaults," he said.
"It's not
open to the public, and most employees don't ever get to see
it."
There are many other treasures along Colfax Avenue that can be
sampled. The section of the road that passes through Denver is the
main tourist area, and many locals consider it the cultural heartbeat
of the city.
"If you go from one end of Colfax to the other end, you'll find what
you're looking for on that one street," Clarke said. "It's always been
that way."
One place you'll find is a stainless steel box called Davies Chuck
Wagon Diner. Produced in New Jersey during the 1950s, the
pre-fabricated cafe traveled farther west than any other of that era.
And its success has been sustained in part, said owner Dwayne Clarke,
by the allure of Denver's road of riches. This story was featured on the television news show National
Geographic Today

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Veteran arts journalist John Moore followed the making of Ben Dicke's
"Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" from inception to an opening night
postponed by a serious backstage accident that hospitalized the
director/starring actor. Part 2: "The Perfect Mission" follows the cast
through the creative process to the eve of opening night, one day before
Dicke was severely injured in a freak backstage accident/ Photo by John
Moore. Running time: 8 minutes. Warning: Profanity.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Veteran arts journalist John Moore followed the making of Ben Dicke's "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" from inception to an opening night postponed by a serious backstage accident that hospitalized the director/starring actor, who suffered four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a gash on the back of his head after falling 6 feet through a trap door at the Aurora Fox’s main stage. Part 1: Before the Fall. Running time: 9 minutes.

Ben Dicke has made an amazing recovery and has rescheduled the show to make its opening at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Aurora Fox Theatre's studio. Thursday evening shows have been added to the run in an effort to recoup lost revenue from the play’s first three weeks.

The Oasis was located at 1729 E. Colfax Ave. where a
Taco Bell now stands. The old establishment used to serve milkshakes
and cheeseburgers to East High students and the like and was frequented
by Neal Cassady. He used to ditch his afternoon classes to steal a car,
pick a girl up at The Oasis, and then drive her to the mountains for the
night. Kerouac, a fan of good looking Denver girls, visited The Oasis a
couple of times while he was in Denver. This wall is adjacent to the Taco Bell’s drive thru.-- Courtesy [JACK WAS HERE]